Rann
Riders is aware that in order to be a sustainable tourism
project the resort team has to be involved in initiatives
that benefit the local society, specially communities
with high artisanal skills like the weavers, embroiderers,
potters, etc.

At Rann Riders,
there is space provided for weavers to demonstrate their
weaves like Ikat and Tangalio. Guests staying at the
property get an opportunity to buy sarees, shawls, stoles
and fabric pieces directly from the weavers without
any commission or middle-person’s margins. The
weavers benefit from getting a market for their products
and the tourists get an opportunity to see weaving processes
and buy the products. By doing this, Rann Riders has
succeeded in encouraging weavers to continue their ancestral
skills rather than having to move to other professions
because of the reducing market for hand-woven products
against competing machine made ones.

About two km from
Dasada is a settlement of about 15 Mir families. Mirs
are a nomadic community that came from Rajasthan about
60 years ago. They live in temporary homes. Mirs migrated
with Rabaris, keeping relations with them according
to Rabari lineages. Each Mir was in charge of a particular
lineage. The system has faded into history and today
Mirs do manual agricultural and construction labour.
The 15 families near Dasada are economically and socially
weak. Rann Riders realised that there was much potential
in bettering the life of the Mir families because they
are good dancers and artisans. Beadwork is the Mir forte.
Employing opaque beads, out of circulation coins, bells,
buttons and mirrors, they create braids, tassels, and
necklaces for women and girls. Today, following design
intervention by some of our esteemed guests, the Mir
women use their beadwork skills to make bangles which
tourists staying at Rann Riders buy. Mir families also
come to Rann Riders for dance performances to entertain
guests interested in folklore. Thanks to the revenue
from selling beaded bangles to Rann Riders guests and
performing for tourists, Mirs have now permanently settled
on the periphery of Dasada and have houses rather than
shelters.

Rabari women and
girls do embroidery at home largely for household use
and dowries, while the husbands support the house from
revenue generated from livestock breeding and dairy
products. Today, girls do minimal embroidery for their
dowries, and have little interest in their tradition.
In order to keep the embroidery styles alive, Rann Riders
has supported enterprising Kharapat Rabari women who
do embroidery and have gathered good examples of their
work for sale, and thus supplemented family incomes.

The village safaris
organised by Rann Riders also includes Ambala village
where Bharvad women have now got a good market for their
machine embroidered fabrics.

Rann Riders is now
working with local government authorities to create
a platform for artisans, improve the environment, and
build facilities for tourists visiting the area regardless
of whether they are staying at the resort. Among the
initiatives is a craft village that will give spaces
to artisans of the district to showcase and sell their
works.